Sweetlife celebrates environmental awareness

May 1 brought a festival with a difference to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, as a diverse roster of bands — including the Strokes, Girl Talk, Cold War Kids, Lupe Fiasco, and Crystal Castles — came together to celebrate music in an eco-conscious fashion.

Organized by the DC-based Sweetgreen group, the Sweetlife Festival put the spotlight on organic and locally sourced foods, healthy living, and environmental awareness. The carbon-neutral event drew a huge crowd that remained ecstatic despite intermittent rain, aware, most likely, that the precipitation was as good for the earth as the forward-thinking practices the festival endorsed. Or perhaps everyone was just blissed out on the consistently solid performances from everyone on the bill. [Photos by Gabriela Filasky]